As explained on the Oregon Governor's website:
"As Oregonians drive less and demand more fuel-efficient vehicles, it is increasingly important that the state find a new way, other than the gas tax, to finance our transportation system."
Following the tried and true pattern for social engineering they first concoct a guilt and fear-based campaign designed to get people to choose more fuel efficient cars, to burn food as fuel to the greatest extent possible and to lay the ground work for justifying future government interventions in the market.
Ta Da! Kulongoski to pursue mileage tax
Then, when they realize the revenue from their gas tax is going down as more people do this they decide to monitor and tax the movements of vehicles.
With this plan all those people with fuel efficient cars who are driving all over the countryside will be held accountable for their movements rather than for the amount of gas it takes them to get around. People who drive gas-guzzlers but stay close to home will benefit. Beautiful, huh?
What about home heating fuel? Will people with efficient homes be taxed for how many times they open their doors and let heat out? Big brother could easily require monitors on all doors.
Perhaps they should tax the unemployed for not spending enough to keep their employers growing. If everyone who works for GM had three Hummers in the driveway maybe GM wouldn't be hurting now. Yes, these people should be taxed to make up for their lack of consumption.
Fortunately, Obama's "stimulus" plan will provide the cash for them to pay this non-consumption penalty tax. Everything is going to be just fine.
-Jahfre Fire Eater
©2008 Jahfre Fire Eater, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Last modified: Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The views expressed in this article are those of Jahfre Fire Eater only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Jahfre Fire Eater is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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Reader Comments:
Posted By: gene
Date: 2008-12-30 16:52:46
Hi Jahre, fellow oregonian? when we moved here from the Rockies in 1980 i thought i had moved to another country! high quality life, low cost, low taxes, friendly people, small local business, fairly undeveloped but a person could survive and enjoy the region. the politicians then were not so much demo and repub but oregonians. as you know, the state now resembles more and more the mass produced, high cost, high tax state corporate model the US seems to follow. kulongoski could be the gov of vermont for all we can tell, and there isn't a tax he won't propose.
if they want fuel efficiency and fairness, just make sure all funds for roads come from the gas tax. in other words, quit subsidyzing the roads from the general fund. you won't need to coerce people to buy fuel efficient cars, or burn burger king fry oil, the economics will do it.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2009-01-01 09:55:24
Hi Gene,
Nope, I'm not Oregonian. I've been to portland a couple times for business but that's it. I live at 9000 ft elevation in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
I just keep my eye out for news stories that illustrate the folly of liberal social engineering. It seem to me that technology, for Democrats, provides more ways to kill the economy with taxes and for Republicans more ways to kill people outright.
Both camps are quick to quell attempts to use technology to improve the knowledge and understanding of the citizens.
-Jahfre Fire Eater